Coffee Shops…Why do we love them so much?

Coffee Shops…Why do we love them so much?

I work remote and have an apartment that I adore so working from home is a great option for me. But half the time I find myself going to my local coffee shop to work. My husband couldn’t fathom why I didn’t work from the comforts of our home. “We have a great coffee brewer and a pantry stocked with Law Coffee. So, why are you going to the coffee shop?”

Then my husband started working remote and he got it. Sometimes…you just need to get out! Enter the coffee shop!

There’s just something about them. Coffee shops offer a setting, a particular aura that’s inviting and cozy. The buzzing of the espresso machine, the perfectly calibrated coffee grinder going round and round, and did I mention the aromas that fill the air?

I get my best work done at coffee shops. New coffee ideas flow and I get a fresh jolt of motivation from being in a place where all that coffee magic happens.

It starts when I wake up. Hopefully it’s my husbands morning to wake up with the kids while I doze a bit longer. I open my eyes and think, “I’m going to the coffee shop today!” On these mornings I put a little more effort into what I wear and how my face looks so as not to scare other coffee shop customers (it’s not good for business.)

I have a little more pep in my step as I enthusiastically hustle the kids out the door toward the elevator. Sometimes I find myself humming a little tune and the kids hum along. I drop the kids off at school and smile as the coffee shop is in sight. I open the coffee shop door and the hanging chimes ring that beautiful sound, welcoming me in.

I say hi to the regulars and the coffee shop owners and see what’s brewing for the day. Once I get my chosen coffee and fix it with milk and sweetener (yes, I know. I don’t drink my coffee black. Sue me.) I find a table near an outlet and start typing away. And before I know it, my coffee is gone and I need a refill.

You know what it is? A coffee shop is a home away from home. You don’t have to stare at the piles of unfolded laundry, dirty dishes in the sink, the burnout lightbulb that you’ve been meaning to change. That all goes away at a coffee shop.

It’s a place where you can find your people. If you will it, the coffee shop can be a version of Cheers sans alcohol and 80’s hairstyles. You can convince yourself you have friends even if you don’t because that guy, Bobby, at the corner table, always waves to you.

And if you don’t know Bobby, at least you can people watch:

(What is she ordering? Ooo that cappuccino looks amazing! Next time!)

(Awww, a new baby. He is too cute! Maybe I WILL have a third!)

Or you can just listen to strangers’ enticing conversations (but I would never do this.:)

Without coffee shops, perhaps the co-working space trend would not exist. Companies like WeWork, Workbar and Hera Hub, to name a few, rent out shared office space to individuals like me. The appeal? A space to work, fresh flowing coffee and the ability to connect with other human beings…everything that your typical coffee shop offers as well!

Why else are coffee shops so lovely? In simple terms…they give you exactly what you want; that jolt of caffeine that makes you feel like you can survive the day in one beautiful delicious cup. Plus everyone knows that coffee is part of a healthy balanced diet so you ARE doing your part. GO YOU! And the coffee choices are endless….an adult version of a kid in a candy store. You can try something new or stick with your regular and find comfort in both.

If a place were an object, a coffee shop would easily be a cozy blanket. It just feels good!

I love my local coffee shop and all that it means.

Now all I have to do is make every coffee shop serve Law Coffee…and then life would be pretty perfect!